John Owen was an evangelical minister in England during the seventeenth century. He was also a prolific writer, penning over eighty works of theology, biblical commentary, and practical Christian living over the course of his ministry. Below are a few selected quotes from the sixth volume in his collected works entitled, Temptation and Sin. In this book, Owen provides valuable insight into the Scriptures and the human heart as he focuses on the believer’s need to mortify sin and pursue holiness.
Only the regenerate can mortify sin. “Unless a man be a believer—that is, one that is truly ingrafted into Christ—he can never mortify any one sin; I do not say, unless he know himself to be so, but unless he be so” (33)
A lack of holiness takes away a person’s usefulness. “His works, his endeavors, his labors, seldom receive blessing from God. If he be a preacher, God commonly blows upon his ministry, that he shall labor in the fire, and not be honored with any success or doing any work for God; and the like may be spoken of other conditions. The world is at this day full of poor withering professors. How few are there that walk in any beauty and glory! How barren, how useless are they, for the most part! Amongst the many reasons that may be assigned of this sad estate, it may be justly feared that this is none of the least effectual—many men harbor spirit-devouring lusts in their bosoms, that lie as worms at the root of their obedience, and corrode and weaken it day by day. All graces, all ways and means whereby any graces may be exercised and improved are prejudiced by this means; and as to any success, God blasts such men’s undertakings” (56).
Longing for deliverance. “Assure thyself, unless thou longest for deliverance thou shalt not have it” (60).
Temptation defined. “Temptation, then, in general, is anything, state, way, or condition that, upon any account whatever, hath a force or efficacy to seduce, to draw the mind and heart of a man from its obedience, which God requires of him, into any sin, in any degree of it whatever” (96).
Consider the temptation that was the cause of your sin. “When they are overtaken with a sin they set themselves to repent of that sin, but do not consider the temptation that was the cause of it, to set themselves against that also, to take care that they enter not more into it. Hence are they quickly again entangled by it, though they have the greatest detestation of the sin itself that can be expressed. He that would indeed get the conquest over any sin must consider his temptations to it, and strike at that root; without deliverance from thence, he will not be healed” (118).
Believe God’s promises of preservation. “To believe that he will preserve us is a means of preservation; for this God will certainly do, or make a way for us to escape out of temptation, if we fall into it under such a believing frame. We are to pray for what God hath promised” (125).
Pray. “…he that would be little in temptation, let him be much in prayer” (126).
Know yourself. “Now, he that would watch that he enter not into temptation, had need to be acquainted with his own natural temper, that he may watch over the treacheries that lie in it continually. Take heed lest you have a Jehu in you, that shall make you drive furiously; or a Jonah in you, that will make you ready to repine; or a David, that will make you hasty in your determinations, as he was often, in the warmth and goodness of his natural temper. He who watches not this thoroughly, who is not exactly skilled in the knowledge of himself, will never be disentangled from one temptation for another all his days” (132).
Think much on Christ. “Let a soul exercise itself to a communion with Christ in the good things of the gospel—pardon of sin, fruits of holiness, hope of glory, peace with God, joy in the Holy Ghost, dominion over sin—and he shall have a mighty preservative against all temptations” (144).
Pursue a universal obedience in order to overcome particular sins. “The most vigorous actings, by prayer, fasting, and other such means, against that particular lust corruption, temptation, wherewith you are exercise and have to do. This will not avail you if, in the meantime, there be neglects on other accounts. To hear a man wrestle, cry, contend as to any particular temptation, and immediately fall into worldly ways, worldly compliances, looseness, and negligence in other things—it is righteous with Jesus Christ to leave such a one in the hour of temptation” (148).
Willingness is not enough. “A will of doing good, without doing good, is but pretended” (161).
Obedience leads to more obedience, and sin to more sin. “The more men exercise their grace in duties of obedience, the more it is strengthened and increased; and the more men exert and put forth the fruits of their lust, the more is that enraged and increased in them—it feeds upon itself, swallows up its own poison, and grows thereby” (170).
The fight against sin never ends in this life. “Never let us reckon that our work in contending against sin, in crucifying, mortifying, and subduing of it, is at an end. The place of its habitation is unsearchable; and when we may think we have thoroughly won the field, there is sill some reserve remaining that we saw not, that we knew not of” (174).
There is no neutrality toward sin. “To let it [sin] alone, is to let it grow; not to conquer it, is to be conquered” (185).
God looks at the heart. “God doth not look at what duties we perform, as to their number and tale, or as to their nature merely, but whether we do them with that intention of mind and spirit which he requireth” (231).
Forgiving others. “Our forgiving others will not procure forgiveness for ourselves; but our not forgiving of others proves that we ourselves are not forgiven” (497).
Beware of self-righteousness. “Whilst I know Christ’s righteousness, I shall less care to know my own holiness. To be holy is necessary; to know it, sometimes is a temptation” (601).